Pip Hinman, Karachi
More than 12,000 people from 58 countries packed into the City Sports Stadium on March 24 to launch the first World Social Forum ever held in Pakistan.
Among the many participants were peasants from Baluchistan struggling against the army's land grab, campaigners calling for an end to child and bonded labour, anti-dam activists, Kashmiri independence activists, Palestinians, anti-war activists, unions and many women's groups. The Labour Party Pakistan and the Pakistan People's Party were among the parties represented and there were big delegations of worker activists from India and Sri Lanka.
In a fiery speech, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Asma Jahangir hit out at capitalism, which she described as a "free market for the mafia", and told the crowd that it was fitting to have the WSF in Pakistan as its people were used to struggling for their rights. Palestinian activist Jamal Juma received rousing applause for saying that Palestine was "not for sale" and that the US could "go to hell" with its threat to withdraw aid. He said the rise of progressive forces and governments across Latin America also showed that the US's colonial project is failing.
"Those who predicted that the Iraq war would not go well have been vindicated", said Pakistani-born author and activist Tariq Ali, speaking Urdu. Ali pointed to the 1200 Cuban doctors who assisted earthquake-ridden Pakistan and Kashmir as an example of international solidarity that Pakistanis will never forget.
From Green Left Weekly, March 29, 2006.
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